Witnesses of Messiah

Introduction

Earlier in his epistle, John stressed two important things...

That Jesus Christ has come in the flesh.

1 John 4:2 TLV

You know the Ruach Elohim by this—every spirit that acknowledges that Messiah Yeshua has come in human flesh is from God,

That those who believe Jesus Christ has come in the flesh are "of God"; indeed, they have been "born of God"

1 John 5:1 TLV

Everyone who believes that Yeshua is the Messiah is born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves the one born of Him.

In today’s study, John offers several “witnesses” in support of these claims made about Jesus...

1 John 5:6–10 TLV

Messiah Yeshua is the One who came by water and blood—not by water only, but by water and blood. The Spirit is the One who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify— the Spirit, the water, and the blood—and these three are one. If we accept men’s testimony, God’s testimony is greater—for this it is the testimony that God has given about His Son. The one who trusts in Ben-Elohim has the testimony in himself; the one who does not trust in God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given about His Son.

The key word is “testifies”, and in various forms is found eight times in our text (nine, if you count verse 8). The word in Greek is "martureo" {mar-too-reh'-o}, and it means:

“to be a witness, i.e. testify”

“to give evidence for, to bear record:”

In our we’ll take a look at these "Witnesses For Jesus Christ" and see how each of them has their part in providing evidence about Jesus. We begin with two witnesses, actually, who together tell us something about Jesus coming in the flesh...]

The Water and the Blood

What does that even mean?

This has been one of those passages that was always a mystery to me, it sounded super-spiritual, and it wasn’t until I dug into this study on 1 John, methodically and in context did I understand the meaning. I mean, I had heard all kinds of theories. One of the leading theories, and one I’m sure most of you have heard and were taught was that this had to do with the water and the blood that came from Jesus’ side, but if you think about it in context, what in the world would that prove? Back in my days on the ambulance, I remember picking up a man who had been badly injured in a motorcycle accident. He had experienced severe trauma to the left side of his chest. It was early in my career and the paramedic - Mike Hollywood, I promise that was his name, not making it up. Anyway Hollywood as he was affectionately known, was working on him detected what we call a tension hemothorax. A tension hemothorax occurs when blunt force trauma causes internal bleeding in the chest cavity and then puts pressure on the lungs slowly suffocating the patient and eventually putting pressure on the heart itself. The emergency procedure for this condition is a needle thoracostomy. It’s where we insert a large needle into the chest and drain out the blood. A funny thing happens to this pooled blood, it separates out into red blood cells and plasma as it sits there, and when you let it out, it looks like blood and water coming out. We know that Jesus had been beaten severely before the crucifixion, so that could be the cause of this condition, or it could have been the crucifixion itself that cause a cardiac rupture, which would have had the same result, either way, when the solder pierced his side with a spear, he was essentially performing a needle thoracostomy. All that to say, there was nothing special about that which would be a witness.

So let’s go back to what we know about what is going on during the time John is writing this epistle. We know that on several occasions he is warning the saints against the heresy of the gnostics. What I’ve learned is that at the time, the gnostics were teaching that the “divine Christ” descended upon Jesus at the time of his baptism. And then left him before he died on the cross. Thus the Gnostics claimed that the “Christ” did not experience death.

The True Significance of the water and the blood.

Let’s look at how John words this so carefully.

1 John 5:6 TLV

Messiah Yeshua is the One who came by water and blood—not by water only, but by water and blood. The Spirit is the One who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.

The water and the blood. Then he goes on to emphasize, not the water only what on earth could that mean? If we look at the teachings of the gnostics, it’s easy to see how they can convince people the that the “divine Christ” descended upon Jesus at His baptism (after all we have the voice from God and the baptism of the Ruach to mark the start of His earthly ministry). So in that sense, yes Yeshua’s identity as Messiah was first confirmed there, but what about the blood? If John’s purpose was to refute the heresy of the gnostics, it stands to reason that his emphasis is that Jesus Christ came by both water and blood, and not by water only - cf. 1Jn 5:6a Thus emphasizing that not only was the Christ present at the baptism, but that He also suffered in the flesh on the cross. Why a witness though?

Genesis 31:43–52 TLV

In response Laban said to Jacob, “The daughters are my daughters, and the sons are my sons, and the flocks are my flocks. Everything you see is mine. But what can I do for these, my daughters, today, or for their sons to whom they’ve given birth? So now, come, let’s make a covenant, you and I, and let it be a witness between you and me.” So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar, and Jacob said to his relatives, “Gather stones.” So they took the stones and made a pile. Then they ate there on the pile. Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha and Jacob called it Gal-ed. And Laban said, “This pile is a witness between me and you today.” That is why its name is Gal-ed, or Mizpah, for he said, “Let Adonai keep watch between you and me when we are out of one another’s sight. If you mistreat my daughters, and if you take wives besides my daughters, though no one is with us, look! God is the witness between you and me.” Laban said further to Jacob, “Behold, this pile, and this pillar which I’ve set up between you and me: this pile serves as a witness, that I won’t pass by this pillar to go to you, and that you won’t pass by this pile and this pillar to go to me—with evil intent.

So much like the stones set up by Jacob and Laban served as a “witness”, so the waters of Jesus' baptism and the blood that flowed from His side offer testimony concerning who Jesus Christ truly was. But these two "witnesses" (water and blood) are not alone, they are joined by another...]

The Witness of the Spirit

The Spirit also bears witness.

Because of His involvement in the earthly life of Jesus, the Spirit can testify to many events of Yeshua’s life, starting with His conception.

Matthew 1:20 TLV

But while he considered these things, behold, an angel of Adonai appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Miriam as your wife, for the Child conceived in her is from the Ruach ha-Kodesh.

His baptism

Matthew 3:16 TLV

After being immersed, Yeshua rose up out of the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Ruach Elohim descending like a dove and coming upon Him.

His Temptation

Luke 4:1 TLV

Yeshua, now filled with the Ruach ha-Kodesh, returned from the Jordan. He was led by the Ruach in the wilderness

His ministry

Luke 4:18 TLV

“The Ruach Adonai is on me, because He has anointed me to proclaim Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed,

According to Jesus, the Holy Spirit was to testify about Jesus.

John 15:26 TLV

“When the Helper comes—whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—He will testify about Me.

The Holy Spirit did this by inspiring the apostles and confirming their word with spiritual gifts - cf. Jn 16:13-14; He 2:3-4

John 16:13–14 TLV

But when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on His own; but whatever He hears, He will tell you. And He will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify Me, because He will take from what is Mine and declare it to you.

Hebrews 2:3–4 TLV

how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? It was first spoken through the Lord and confirmed to us by those who heard. At the same time, God was testifying by signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Ruach ha-Kodesh, according to His will.

The Spirit agrees with the water and the blood.

1 John 5:8 TLV

the Spirit, the water, and the blood—and these three are one.

The Spirit, the water, and the blood, all three bear witness, and agree as one. That is, they all testify that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh!The significance of having three witnesses agreeing may be taken from the requirement found in

Deuteronomy 19:15 TLV

A single witness shall not rise up against a person for any offense or sin that he commits. By the word of two or three witnesses is a case to be established.

As we continue, John mentions yet another witness

The Witness of God

Which ought to be the one that counts for quite a bit.

1 John 5:9 TLV

If we accept men’s testimony, God’s testimony is greater—for this it is the testimony that God has given about His Son.

“If we accept men’s testimony...”

This is a simple conditional sentence that is true to fact. It means “Since we accept the testimony of men...” (which we do in courts of law, don't we?), then any testimony of God would naturally be greater than that of man

God has testified of His Son

Certainly God has born witness to Jesus on several occasions

At His baptism -

Matthew 3:17 TLV

And behold, a voice from the heavens said, “This is My Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased!”

At the mount of transfiguration

Matthew 17:5 TLV

While He was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them; and behold, a voice from out of the cloud, saying, “This is My Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased. Listen to Him!”

It is probable, though, that John has reference to the witness of the blood, the water, and the Spirit, that together they form the witness of God

So we have three witnesses who in agreement speak for the fourth witness (God). When a person believes the testimony given about Jesus as the Son of God, there is even a "fifth witness", that such faith will result in one being “born of God”

The testimony of the believer

1 John 5:10 TLV

The one who trusts in Ben-Elohim has the testimony in himself; the one who does not trust in God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given about His Son.

This sounds an awful lot like Jesus' words in

John 7:16–17 TLV

Yeshua answered, “My teaching is not from Me, but from Him who sent Me. If anyone wants to do His will, he will know whether My teaching comes from God or it is Myself speaking.

Those who do the will of God (as taught by Jesus)......shall know that the doctrine of Messiah is truly from God. Likewise the one who believes in the Son, receives confirmation “in himself” about who Jesus truly is. How one who believes in Him is “born of God”

This is a subjective witness

So we must be very careful with it. Why do I say that? Well, many people can easily deceive themselves into thinking that some “feeling” is an indication that they are saved, or that God has confirmed something to them.

Proverbs 14:12 TLV

There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.

But if we believe (and act upon) the witness of God concerning His Son as revealed in His Spirit-inspired Word, which agrees with the witness of the water and the blood, then we will have confirmation in ourselves that Jesus is truly the Son of God!

One way we have confirmation is the change that takes place in our lives as we grow in Christ. Just as our love for one another is an indication of passing from death to life.

1 John 3:14 TLV

We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers and sisters. The one who does not love remains in death.

And just as our unity with one another is evidence that Jesus was truly was sent from God .

John 17:20–23 TLV

“I pray not on behalf of these only, but also for those who believe in Me through their message, that they all may be one. Just as You, Father, are in Me and I am in You, so also may they be one in Us, so the world may believe that You sent Me. The glory that You have given to Me I have given to them, that they may be one just as We are one— I in them and You in Me—that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me and loved them as You loved Me.

Putting it all together

These are the “witness testimonies”, then, that John offers in support of Jesus teh Messiah. That He came in the flesh and that those who believe Jesus is the Christ are “born of God”.

The first four (water, blood, Spirit, God) provide their evidence whether you believe them or not; but if you will believe them, then you will receive the fifth (the witness in yourself)!

But suppose you do not believe the four witnesses? John says you then make God a liar! -

1 John 5:10–11 TLV

The one who trusts in Ben-Elohim has the testimony in himself; the one who does not trust in God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given about His Son. And the testimony is this—that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.

Do you wish to stand before God on the day of judgment and answer why you believed Him to be a liar? How much better to believe on the Son, and through obedient faith become His child!

Galatians 3:26–27 TLV

For you are all sons of God through trusting in Messiah Yeshua. For all of you who were immersed in Messiah have clothed yourselves with Messiah.